Lens indicating apparatus



Feb. 5,1935. |=,'MFADDEN 1,990,297

LENS INDI CATING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 195s 2 sheets-sheep v1 38 [26 n f l su :l

PL wnH :..mc j "69 Uffa* V' Feb. 5,1935. r. MCF/DDEN 1,990,297

LENS INDICATING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1953 Z Sheets-Sheet 2 YOUR LIHBIB All HOW HDJUBTID T0 THI SIIMI Patented Feb. s, 1935 n 1,990,297

fUNTE-DSTATES 15A)Tf-l5:-N,'15..'ortica fj 1,990,297 l LENS INDICACLING `Arminia'"rUs" FayMcFadden, RutlandQYt..v l f Applicationjiupejzz,1933, serial No. 677,017 l l ilfoams.r (oms- 20) This invention Vrelates to apparatus designed "2 .is',an` enlarged front elevation ofthe for use by Optometrists and others in Arelatively apparatus; l

adjusting or leveling theY lenses of glasses or Fig. 3` isa side` elevation, partly in secti0n,. spectacles.- i ji f .v i p A looking in thedirectionof thearrowfin Fig..2;

5 While capable'of general use, the inventiongis Fig. 4 isa sectionalend elevation, taken along of particularly designed for `the adjustment of' the line 4-'4inFig. 2; i. f bifocal lenses in which the divisionlinelbetween; i Fig.'.5is aQfrontelevation .showingfthe appathe .near vision land farvision Vportions is'not ratus as used for vindicating the right lens;r easily perceptible, f f Figo` is a similar viewshoWi-ng the. apparatus 10V Bifocal lenses should' 'besoY adjusted and posias. usedv for indicating .the left lens; i. .f 120;:

tioned before the wearers eyes that when the Figs? is adetail sectional View, loo-kingin the vision changes lfrom distant perception inthe direction ofthe arrow 7 inFig. 5;f d upxzverl portion to close or` .reading 'perceptionin .Fig. 8 is a' partial front elevationgindicating the r.lower port-ion, botheyes should pass theV the final step in the use of the apparatus;

li' division line between, .the upperand the rlower Fig.A 9 .isairont elevation of 'a desk or table 1; 54 portions simultaneously. v w I typefof apparatus; A- v 'e i.

If'thesright and-lefteyes dofnotgpass thisline Fig. l0 is a Vside elevation thereof. looking in of` divislonbetween the lens portions'sirniiltane-r the :direction of the arrow -10'in Fig.l 9a-nd ouslyfthere :is a 'sensation yof:con-fusion*'largely Fig. Vllis a front-elevation showing the reversi-` 9 because :of :the prismatic .value in all lenses which bility of certain parts.'r y A f f i tends `ter-slightly ,displace'thevapparent position Referring tothe drawings, my improved appa- A offanoobject. If cone eye sensesanobject in one ratuscomprises a lback .20 provided with a-boss position while the @other eye simultaneously 21 (Fig..3) having anopening to receive theupper senses the object' in a lslightly higher vor lower end yofa post y22- (Fig. 1) extending upward from position, confusion naturally results. y a liloorl stand 23. lThe boss 2-1 maybe secured g .Y For these reasons, it isvery important that the on. the post23 in any convenient manner as bya right andf:,:1effti1ensesf be :relatively adjusted-or thumb fscrewfZMFig. vfa). leveled to such positionsy thatthe passing of The back-201s provided with side members 26 perception zfrom `near vision toriar vision orfrom and -v27,v a top member 278,-a bottom member 29 far yvision to ,near"visionfwillztake'placelsimuland a*partition'memberfo. The side members taneouslyior both'eyesrocf the/wearer. l 26 and 27 and the partition member 30 are pro- D'Ihisfa'djustmentmas heretoforeeommon1y videdwith longitudinal grooves `3 2 (Eig. l4) on beenzattempted only ,by ajcrude yffcut Vand try their inner faces', forming lguidewayslfor guidemethod, which?consumed'muchtime and was pins '33 .(Fig.y 2) inthe ends of a block-Stand 35 frequently inaccurate and funsatisfaetory in for corresponding'guide-pins 35 (Fig. '7) in a results. f i ji` slide 862" l M u 'l 1 f It is the general object of 'my presentrinven- .Rds 38 and 39 are screwediinto the-block tion itoxprovideanzindicating:apparatusfby'which and slide 36 respectively and are Vprovided-with the @relative adjustment :and `position 'of two knobs 40A and 4l `by which the block and slide lenses .may -be accuratelyiindicatemandxby the may be moved along the guideways A32'. f of which exact leveling'.and-.adjustment ymay A leaf yspring 42 v(Fig. 3) at one-end lof the bd-easilyaandirapidlyfaccomplished. v; block 34k engages an inner face of :the vrib '130,

imo theattainment of this'objectgmy'invention thus providing. sufficient friction to.hold the` L'inthe.preferred:form-lisembodiedtinafsimpleand block yieldingly from accidental displacement easilycperatedapparatus vby .which comparative ,after adjustment. A similar leafyspring 44 (Fig. tests of the relative positionsiofttwo associated .7) is provided `for the same purpose on therv Jlensesmaylbe easilyzand accurately made.- slide 36. ,i l i n :'Myinvention-furthr relates .tofarrangements The block 34 ris provided-With B' vslllfe 01 fandxcombinationsof..partsvwhieh will'lberhereinvCoating .4:5y having ra: hOFZOIltS indicating '1111 vafter .-iiiescnriloed...andrnore` particularlypointed .4 6 tlier'eOl., the middle of the line being prefermt inthe appended claims. 1:- ablyindicated by a dOlf47i'f,ThCgCOating 45 may referredzfmmsof the., invention are shown beapplied directly tothe block y34 orgmayvcom'- j smtheadrawingssin which prise afcard lor layer o suitable material-seemed' Fig; :1 .iisaaperspectivewiewLof. myzimproved thereto. index orgpointer 5021s mountedf@onA i vliens:muriera/cmsanxwzratuiszn 1 r" :theblokfl and projects.atene.sidezthereorover wearerv is then'directed Y justment is required.

Fig. 5.

Small plates (Fig. 3) are xed to the corners i of the sliding block 34 and project above the outer surface thereof to provide pivotal support for top and bottom covers and 61,y which covers are adapted tobejfolded inwardMover the `surface 45 when the apparatus is-`not in use.

The outer faceof the bottom 61 is preferably provided with a mirror 64 (Figs. l and 2) having` a horizontal line 65 thereon. The outer face of the top cover 60 may be provided,I with a printed card 66 (Fig. 8) bearing any suitablel legend.

Lugs 68 and 69 (Fig. 2) are provided attheends -of the covers 60 and 61 for convenient manipulation thereof. Y

Having described the details of construction of one fornrof my improved apparatusJwillwnow describe the method of using the same in adjusting bifocallenses. The` covers 60 .and61 `are first moved .to bring the bottom cover outside, as indicated in Figs. l and'2, an'dfthegjwearer of the lenses to be adjustedis then' asked to level his head with respect to the horizontal line ,'65, a legend to this effect preferablyiappearingon the mirror 64. Y The wearerof vthe lenses `is then inistructedjto maintain his head` as nearly stationary as possible during the adjusting of the lenses. -Any suitable support or steady-rest may be provided to) assist the 'wearer in thus maintaining his head inthe.: same position. l

' The covers'60 and'61 are thenswung open to disclose the surface 45 and line 46, and a device 70 isfheld in iront of, one of the wearers eyes, whichin Fig. 5 is` indicated as the left eye. The to look through the right eye at theV line 46. y i A 'Ihe 'block 34jis n' ioved` upward and downward bythe operator by use of the knob 40 and rod 38 until two associated lines 46 appear; in the vision.v l This indicates that the wearer is viewing theline 46 through the adjacent edges of the upper and lower portions of the right bifocal. The block is closelyadjusteduntilthe' upper and lower visions of the line 46 are equally distinct, and `the slide 36 is then rmoved upward or downward tobring the zero line opposite the index50.` *i l" Y j i The right eye is thenc'overedv by the 4device` 10, as indicated in Fig. 6,` andthe block 34 is again moved upward or downward "until thev wearer apparently sees twolines 46 withfeq'ual clearness. The new position of the index'50 with reference to the vzero line'onthe plate 51 is then noted, and if thelenses are correctly adjustediand leveledl with respectto each other, the index will befound to point to the zeroline.` y

` -If,}ihowever, the index points toa graduation abovethe zero line, as shown in Fig. 6, it indicates that-the left lens is too high and Yshould be lowered, or conversely that theright lens is -toovlow and should be raised. If vthe index points toa graduation below the zero line, a reverse ad- After'fthus relatively adjusting the lenses, the indicatingoperation is repeated, and after'very few trialsithe lenses willl be foundto indicate thezero'fmarkfor'both lenses, showing'that vthe iensesare properly leveled. `whfmthis `isfaccomplished, the upper cover 60 maybe swung downward, bringing theflegend onfthe card 66 inview, a'nd-y the wearer of the lenses maythen test his vision by the clearness with which the legend is read. l

In certain oflice spaces it may be found more desirable to read the graduations at the left rather than `at the right of the apparatus, in which case the back 20 may be reversed in position on the post 22 by loosening the screw 24, and the rods 38 and 39 may be removed fromone vedge of the block 34 and slide l3,6 and may be inserted in the opposite edge as indicated'in Fig. 11.

In Figs; 9 and 10 I have'indicatedasomewhat ysimpler form of the apparatus in which a frame Fis provided with a brace B and with a suction `cup by which the device maybe temporarily secured to the top of the table or desk. The

covers 60 and 61 are not shown in this simplified i constructionbut may obviously be added thereto if vso desired. Furthermore, only one V'end mem- `berh77 isshown for the frame F, reversal of the apparatusrnot being provided, and the sliding parts arevinsertable fromlothe bottom.VV I In the construction'-previo'uslyV described; one

of theVV end members 28"or"29 (Fig. 2) isjr'nztdev removable for insertion of the block? sudea Y.

The Voperation of the-1devicefshown 'iniFigs ',9Q and 10 isysimilar` to 'that lof -fthe 'construction' previously" described!` except Y. that preliminary leveling of the head by the mirror 64 and final testlng'of the vision bythe reading'card 66`is omitted( j While I-have s hownthe index on-fthe larger' block*34 and the graduatedvscale on 'theismaller' slide 36; Vreversal of these' elements is iobvicfiuslyi within the scope ofmy irri/enticingV` 1 i* I -Iaving thus described myi invention andthe advantagesthereof, Ido not wish tobelimited tothe details herein disclosed, otherwisetl'ian asy 11A lens indicating apparatus comprisinga support, 'a` member manuallyv slidable vertically` thereon and having a test line,` a second member;

kmeans to guide said two members for' movement thereon andthe other membefhavingga coopf erating index line@v n y "2. A lens indicating .apparatus comprisingy a support, afmember manually slidable yvertically 5U thereon and having a test line, a second member,

means to` guide said two members for movement in adjacent parallel paths, andV means toV main`v tain each memberin-ivertically adjusted position, one ofsaid members having an index thereon and the other member having a cooperating index line and associatedgraduationa 3. A lens indicating apparatus comprising; 'a

support having two sets of parallel-and'v substantially vertical guideways therein, a block slidable` index line thereon. E

4. A lens indicating 'apparatus comprisingV a supporthaving two sets of parallelandrsubstanhaving a horizontal test linefthereon and said block and slide having .a cooperating index and index line thereon, andf'fmeansfto; prevent-acci? dental displacement of either the block or the slide after adjustment thereof.

5. A lens indicating apparatus comprising av support, a member manually slidable vertically thereon and having a test line, a second member, means to guide said two members for movement in adjacent parallel paths, and means to maintain each member in vertically adjusted position, one of said members having an index thereon and the other member having a cooperating index line, said rst member having a cover movable to a positiontoconceal said test line and said cover having a reilecting outer surface provided with an indication by which the wearer of thelens to be leveled may align his head with said apparatus. v

6. A lens indicating apparatus comprising a support, a member manually slidable vertically thereon and having a test line, a second member, means to 'guide said two members for movement in adjacent parallel paths, and means to maintain each member in vertically adjusted position,k

one of said members having `an index thereon and the other member having a cooperating index line, said` first member having a cover movable to a position to conceal said test line and said cover having a reflectingouter surface provided with an indication by which the wearer of the lens to be leveled may align his head with said apparatus, and said rst member having a second cover movable to conceal saidv test line and provided with a legend on its outer surface, by the facility of reading whereof the adjustment'y of the lenses may be checked.

'7. A lens indicating apparatus vcomprising a support having two sets of parallel and substantially vertical guideways therein, a block slidable in one set of said guideways, a slide for the other set of guideWaya'means to move said block and slide in said guideways, said block having a horizontal test line thereon and said block and slide having a cooperating index and index line thereon, means to prevent accidental displacement of either the block or slide after adjustment thereof, and a stand on which said support is mounted and relative to which said support may be inverted, the moving means for said block and slide being operable in either of two reversed positions of said means relative to said support. v

8. An apparatus for indicating the relative adjustment of bifocal lenses which comprises a support, a member bearing a horizontal test line and having an index on said member, means to raise andlower said member on said support to bring vsaid test line to a position in which said line appears double through a bifocal lens, and a device having a graduated scale and an initial datum line, said device being manually movable on said support to bring said datum line to coincidence with said index on said member, and

means to prevent accidental displacement of said device, whereby a direct scale reading of the 

